We represent the marginalized and disempowered classes and sectors in the LGBTQ Filipino population here in the Philippines and in migrant communities worldwide. Although we are in diverse situations and localities, we share common oppressions that bind us to centuries-old problems of social, political and economic dimensions not only because of our sexual orientations and gender identities (SOGI) but more so because of our class and national and racial origins.

Situationer

            Farmlands, public hospitals, mineral deposits and fishing grounds have been even made more palatable for hostile takeovers, pushing working families into greater poverty, providing the poor with temporary contractual jobs with zero benefits, or charity alms in the form of the conditional cash transfers. Organizing for labor rights has been systematically repressed. The Aquino administration allowed prices of oil, food and basic goods to inflate while depressing real wages.

             Many of the LGBTQs in the Philippines suffer in multiple ways from these economic mismanagement programs. We are already suffering from extreme workplace discrimination based of our sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI-based discrimination). Historically, Filipino LGBTQs are rendered undesirable for hiring, pushing the vast majority of LGBTQs into the margins of the service economy. SOGI-based discrimination created the LGBTQ underclass of salon workers, sex industry freelancers, security guards, food servers, health care workers, entertainers - virtually all subcontractual, with no legal labor protections, paid below the legal wage ceilings and expose us to all sorts of occupational hazards such as violence,  and HIV/AIDS infections.

           As livelihoods further erode under the Aquino administration, LGBTQs are further marginalized. Because many transgender and gay beauty workers and entertainers depend on the salaried workforce for our incomes, job losses and wage cuts among non-LGBTQ workers translate into even more depravity in our salons, bars and eateries. In the slums, many of our transgender and gay youth are trafficked into the exploitative online porn industry just to support our families and meet rising tuition fees in the rapidly deregulating education system.

            Pushed into overseas markets, LGBTQs suffer further human rights violations. Openly homosexual and transgender Filipinos are now being banned from conservative middle east job markets. Workers caught cross-dressed while entertaining are severely punished by the morality police. Migrant Filipinos in the United States, including Shirley Tan and Jose Antonio Vargas, face deportation risks because of unjust immigration laws. Migrant LGBTQ workers are now also threatened with massive deportations as host countries such as Saudi Arabia implement nationalization of their work forces. Yet the Aquino government forgets its campaign promise of creating jobs at home and conveniently proposes redeployment to other countries as the easy way out.

            The government of the Philippines publicly proclaims the country as a tolerant culture with neglibible SOGI-based discrimination. Government agencies are boasting of starting initiatives to include SOGI as a protected status. Yet recent events and realities prove otherwise and marks off the Aquino administration as maliciously negligent of  LGBTQ rights.

            In the House of Representatives, Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño filed House Bill 1483 or the Anti-Discrimination Act of 2010 last year. This important legislation would significantly reduce SOGI-based discrimination and make the State accountable for acts that are committed yet go unpunished. Unfortunately, the bill has been languishing in the congressional committees controlled by Aquino's ruling coalition. The administration chose to put all its energies cooking up a population control bill disguised as a reproductive health measure while slashing budgets for government-owned hospitals and the national health insurance system.

            Hate-motivated actions, such as crimes against persons and property, hate speech, and bullying are on the rise in the past year. As reported by the advocacy group Hate Crime Watch, 26 murders were cited from media sources in 2010 as Aquino was campaigning and being sworn in as president. This first half of the year, 27 murders were added to the gruesome list of more than 150 crime reports collected since 1996. Yet the executive agencies refuse to investigate homophobia behind the crimes even as Rep. Casiño filed House Resolution 1432 for Congress to launch inquiry into the cause of these gruesome murders.

            In response to increasing visibility and pride of LGBTQs in asserting our human rights, local governments and private parties are joining forces to start suppressing the rights and freedom of expression, religion and free association of LGBTQs. After holding Pride events and private commitment ceremonies for same-sex couples, the LGBTQ communities in Baguio City were viciously slandered and attacked as having violated state laws and morality. Fundamentalist religious movements began preaching the evils of homosexuality and demanded state action against LGBTQs. Instead of actively defending LGBTQ rights, the local city mayor and some members of the city council even proposed to prosecute and persecute the Baguio LGBTQs with legal actions and ordinances banning private and public community celebrations.

            SOGI-based discrimination in schools remain rampant prompting Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raymond Palatino to file House Resolution 1333 which seeks to root out prejudicial, discriminatory, and unjust practices and policies against LGBTQs that stunt equal educational opportunities for the sector. Homophobic public school officials tolerate and even encourage humiliation of LGBTQs by classmates, fraternities, teachers and personnel; expulsion of LGBTQs who cross dress and impose arbitrary “masculinity” tests to weed out tomboys and bakla students.

            Lesbond and ProGay recognize that SOGI-based discrimination comes from both deeply rooted traditional homophobia and abetted by the forces of globalization and its neoliberal policy mix. Homophobia and discrimination will not abate from mere invocations of international human rights conventions or empty celebrations of state support. Yet the Aquino administration's own record of even token support for LGBTQ rights is terribly wanting. Despite pleas from advocacy groups, the Aquino foreign affairs policy ignored the appeals for support of statements and resolutions in the United Nations that would protect LGBTQs from extrajudicial killings, discrimination and violence.

            The wanton disregard of international human rights policy is not surprising, given Aquino's glaring record of human rights violations that continued from its predecesor President Gloria Arroyo. The refusal to implement human rights protections under conventions such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is manifested in the State's refusal to prevent discrimination in Baguio, to facilitate the passage of House Bill 1483 in Congress, and to act on reported hate crimes against LGBTQs.

           The sector of marginalized LGBTQs declares in summary that the Aquino administration after a year in power has made life worse for LGBTQ Filipinos in the country and in migrant communities.

Our Calls

            We join the oppressed classes and sectors of Philippine society in mobilizing here and abroad on the day of the reopening of Congress for the State of the Nation Address. While Aquino and his minions paint a glowing picture of progress, the oppressed LGBTQ citizens clamor with peasants, workers, youth, women and other movements at the gates of Congress, to deliver our own State of the LGBTQs. We reiterate that LGBTQs experienced greater poverty and joblessness, worsened inequality, and growing violence.

            We join our fellow social movements in calling for the establishment of a just and pro-people government that will implement National Industrialization and Genuine Redistributive Land Reform to address the long term problems of Philippine society. Only progressive local industries and equitable farm policies can ensure a stable economy that will provide stable and well-paying jobs for the LGBTQs and not the unsafe, low-paid, and unjust temp jobs of the failed neoliberal economic growth model pushed by Aquino.

            We have many demands for Congress to table daring and pro-people legislation and congressional actions that include:

1. Pass the Anti-Discrimination Act of 2010 the Anti-Discriminaiton Bill and draft an equivalent measure in the Senate;

2. Pass House Bill 4635, declaring every 17th of May as the "National Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia" or NADAHO;

3. Table inquiries on discrimination against LGBTQ students as called for by House Resolution 1333 directing Congress to investigate prejudicial, discriminatory, and unjust practices and policies against LGBTQs in schools;

4. Table inquiries on the murders of LGBTQs as called for by House Resolution 1432 directing the House Committee on Human Rights to investigate the killings and hate crimes against LGBTQs;

5. Rewrite and pass the Comprehensive Reproductive Health Bill to remove its population control bias, focus on genuine reproductive health for the masses and include provisions for the promotion of health among LGBTQs;

6. Legislate the 125-peso wage hike, repeal the Oil Deregulation Law, pass the Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill and oppose the pro-contractualization "security of tenure bill."

7. Stop the privatization of state colleges and universities, halt tuition fee hikes and increase budget for education;

8. Stop the privatization of government-owned hospitals and increase the budget for health care.

 Lesbians for National Democracy and Progressive Organization of Gays Philippines

Filipino gays, lesbians throw support behind Lady Gaga

BAGUIO CITY – Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) citizens of Cordillera came out to launch a national campaign to lobby the Philippine Congress to enact the Anti-Discrimination Bill of 2010, even as human rights defenders worldwide condemned the brutal murder of a gay activist in Uganda.

In a multisectoral round table discussion held at the City Tavern Café and Resto, BAYAN MUNA Representative Teodoro Casiño explained the benefits from House Bill 1483 or An Act Defining Discrimination on the Basis of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Providing Penalties Therefor.  

The discussion also demanded justice for a leading gay rights champion of Africa, David Kato, who was murdered on January 26, months after the parliament in the capital Kampala introduced the Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Bill, a bill that sent thousands of LGBTs into hiding or exile. The anti-gay bill inspired by US-based evangelical preachers demanded the death penalty for same-sex acts.

“Working to get House Bill 1483 approved is our fitting tribute to David and all LGBT human rights defenders in the Uganda, the Philippines and in 70 other countries where homosexuality is still penalized, criminalized, or used for formenting violence,” Casiño said.

In its explanatory note, Bayan Muna said the Philippine government is duty bound to reconcile legal protections of the country with those enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, a convention to which the Philippines is a signatory.

The discussion organizers Lesbians for National Democracy (Lesbond) and Progressive Organizations of Gays (Progay Metro Baguio) agreed with the bill’s promised benefits for their members. “If this becomes a law, we LGBTs will enjoy equal rights in education, jobs, housing and many other social benefits,” said Cye Reyes, spokeperson of Lesbond, which is a member of the Baguio Pride Network (BPN),alliance that organizes the annual gay pride parade in the city.

According to Reyes, discrimination spells a living hell for lesbian workers in the farms and factories in the Cordillera region. “Tomboys are recruited for brute masculine strength, yet the capitalists insist on paying us wages they pegged for feminine load work,” said Reyes.

For their part, gay men and transgender youth testified that they are also the subject of the homophobic anti-vagrancy law, a Spanish-era relic that is used by cops and security guards to harass, jail and extort money from men who cruise in parks.

The secretary general of ProGay Metro Baguio, William Villacampa said the group is already circulating an online petition with the name “One Love, One Call, Human Rights for All!”

“We are calling on all our friends and families all over the world, whether they are heterosexuals or LGBTs, to visit our online campaign website, www.progay.multiply.com . You will find easy instructions to write to Rep. Neil Tupas, the chair of the Committee on Justice in the House of Representatives, to act quickly on the bill,” Villacampa explained.

The campaign has already attracted the support of mainstream organizations such as the Cordillera People’s Alliance. They are planning to push a city ordinance of the same design in the city council to speed the passage of the bill on a national scale.

Mila Singson, secretary-general of the women’s rights group Innabuyog-GABRIELA, said their organization fully supports House Bill 1483 as it gives violators the chance to rectify their errors. “Besides imposing monetary penalties, the Anti-Discrimination Act also allows the offender to provide community service, in form of speaking before audiences to explain the negative effects of what they did to homosexuals and transgenders. This helps us reform homophobic elements in Cordillera society.”

Forward this message to all your friends and family and ask them to support this campaign:

Discriminationary acts against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) citizens in the Philippines are rampant yet are largely unreported and not provided corrective measures. Gay men are constantly harassed by police officers, transgendered women are not allowed to use their preffered gender on identity papers, and lesbians are paid lower wages. These are the result of the lack of protective laws that can punish discrimination and allow the courts and government agencies to receive complaints.

We are asking you to support our campaign ONE LOVE, ONE CALL, HUMAN RIGHTS FOR ALL! to help us make the Philippines a welcoming country for our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) countrymen.

In August 2010, BAYAN MUNA Representative Teodoro Casino filed House Bill 1483 or An Act Defining Discrimination on the Basis of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Providing Penalties Therefor. If this becomes law, LGBTs will enjoy equal rights in education, jobs, housing and many other social benefits.

Among the many good features of House Bill 1483 include:

> ensuring LGBTs get hired without discrimination in all jobs, services and industries with equitable pay, benefits and promotions
> making schools a safe and accepting environment for students regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity
> providing equal access for LGBTs to enjoy health care, housing, transportation and social services without prejudice
> making discrimination against LGBTs an act that can be reported to the government authorities and penalized so that discrimination can be eliminated

We need your help in getting our honorable representatives in the House of Representatives to pass this bill through the Committee on Justice quickly so that the entire House can vote this bill and send it to the President for signing. You can do this by calling or sending polite request letters to the Committee secretariat.

You can use the Draft Letter below as a guide. You may copy and paste this on an email or print letter and send ito the Committee on Justice.

To make sending your mail more convenient, you can click on this link http://www.congress.gov.ph/contact/popform.php?re=sendemail&to=member&id=F043&congress=15 and paste or type your message. If you have time, please do call the Secretariat and tell them you wish the Committee to act fast on House Bill 1483.

==================================
SAMPLE LETTER (you can add your views)

Hon. Rep. Neil Tupas, Jr.
Chair
Committee on Justice
House of Representatives
Batasan Road, Quezon City

Attention: Atty. Narcisa Guevarra
Committee Secretary

Dear Hon. Tupas:

I am writing your good office to request the immediate deliberation and passage of House Bill 1483, "An Act Defining Discrimination on the Basis of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Providing Penalties Therefor" which was referred to your committee last August 2.

The bill filed by Rep. Teddy Casino seeks to end both practices and policies that limit the basic rights and freedoms of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBTs) in schools, offices, commercial establishments, health care institutions, the civil service, police and military. Your committee's action to prioritize this bill will hasten the achievement to equal status of LGBTs in the country.

The enactment of HB 1483 into law will not only improve the participation of LGBTs in nation building, but will likewise make the country compliant with several conventions and treaties in the United Nations that the Philippines ratified, including the Universal Declaration on Human Rights.

Thank you for giving this letter your utmost attention. Looking forward to your favorable response.

Signed,
YOUR NAME
YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
City/Town, Philippines or country of residence

=============================
INSTRUCTIONS FOR SENDING

To send this email to the House Committee on Justice, please click on this link

http://www.congress.gov.ph/contact/popform.php?re=sendemail&to=committee&id=0520&congress=15

It may also help to make a polite phone call to Committee Secretary Atty. Narcisa H. Guevarra at telephone no. 9315001 local 7160, Telefax no. 9513027

Please email a copy of your email and your inquiries to
ProGay Philippines
email address: progaynet@yahoo.com

For more information on House Bill 1483, visit this website: http://www.congress.gov.ph/press/details.php?pressid=4694

You can also write in Tagalog, Cebuano, or other Philippine languages.

Thank you very much for helping us make the country a better place for LGBTs.

For inquiries email to progaynet@yahoo.com.

If you wish to know the updates on the bill, please log on www.progay.multiply.com or www.bayanmuna.net

Cordillera gays urge President Aquino to vote for UN resolution on gay killings

BAGUIO CITY -- On the eve of a United Nations General Assembly meeting to vote on protecting gays and other marginalized sectors from extrajudicial killings, the Progressive Organization of Gays (ProGay) Metro Baguio called on President Benigno Aquino to instruct the Philippines’ envoy in New York to uphold human rights based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

ProGay Metro Baguio leader William Villacampa and his council, meeting in the first general assembly of the group on the same day as the UN General Assembly, said that the Philippines should support the resolution that mandates States to investigate killings of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) people all over the world.

A UN committee meeting last month passed an amendment changing a ten-year old human rights resolution to remove GLBTs from the protected sectors, and the Philippines’ delegate was one of 43 who abstained from voting.

“It is shameful that the Philippines parades itself as a beacon of GLBT equality in the United Nations, yet the government also refuses to pass the Anti-Discrimination Bill to protect human rights based on sexual orientation and gender identity,” Villacampa said.

The ProGay Metro Baguio general assembly is backing the said measure, House Bill 1483, filed by Bayan Muna (People First) Rep. Teodoro Casino in Congress. Titled “An Act Defining Discrimination on the Basis of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Providing Penalties,” HB 1483 would outlaw the exclusion of GLBTs in housing, employment, and access to all social services.

ProGay Metro Baguio leaders revealed that reports of gays and transgenders being roughed up and mugged in the tourist areas of city and the surrounding province of Benguet come in as frequently as once a week, while killings do happen but are very hard to document.

“Trying to report discrimination and violence to police forces in the Philippines is very difficult, that is why it is hard to come up with names, court cases and statistics to prove that anti-gay violence and killings are numerous,” said Edgar Atadero, regional director of the International Association of Pride Organizers (InterPride).

“The main reason is that the police tend to blame GLBT complainants for the harm they suffer, and oftentimes, the cops and security forces are involved, so many GLBTs choose to remain silent,” Atadero added.